Common Questions
Quick answers to the questions family historians ask most about ForeBranch.
About ForeBranch
Is ForeBranch a genealogy program?
No. ForeBranch publishes your tree on WordPress. Research, editing, and sourcing stay in your genealogy software. See What ForeBranch Is (and Isn’t).
Can I edit my family tree in ForeBranch?
Not the genealogy itself. Make changes to names, dates, relationships, and sources in your genealogy software, export a new GEDCOM, and re-import it. In WordPress you can mark people private or living, delete records, edit place names and coordinates, manage media (Pro), add biographies (Pro), and review visitor submissions (Pro).
Do I need special genealogy software?
You need a program that can export a GEDCOM file, which most genealogy software can. ForeBranch imports GEDCOM 5.5, 5.5.1, 5.5.5, and 7.0.
What is GEDCOM?
GEDCOM is a standard file format for exchanging genealogy data between family tree programs. The Dashboard links to the official specifications at gedcom.io.
Limits and versions
Does the free version limit how many people or trees I can have?
No. The free version supports unlimited trees and unlimited individuals.
Is there a maximum GEDCOM file size?
ForeBranch does not set a fixed maximum. Large files are imported in chunks. The practical limit is your host’s upload size and PHP time and memory limits. See Server Settings for Large Imports.
What do I get with Pro?
Media, maps and place tools, charts, reports, LifePath, the relationship finder, AI biographies, statistics, comments and corrections, sharing, and more. See Free vs Pro Overview.
How much does Pro cost?
Pro is available as Pro Yearly or Pro Lifetime. See forebranch.com for current pricing.
Do I uninstall the free plugin when I buy Pro?
No. ForeBranch Pro is an add-on and requires the free ForeBranch plugin to stay installed and active. See Upgrading to ForeBranch Pro.
Where do I enter my license key?
Under ForeBranch → Account. See Account & License.
Privacy
Who can see living people?
Only site Administrators. Public visitors and logged-in users of every other role see “Private” in place of the name, dates, and places.
How does ForeBranch decide who is living?
A recorded death date means the person is treated as deceased. Otherwise, anyone younger than 120 years (adjustable) is treated as living. With no birth year, ForeBranch checks family clues (spouse, children, parents) first; if those are inconclusive, the person is treated as living. Adjust the rules under ForeBranch → Dashboard → Configuration → Privacy Settings.
Can I hide someone who is not living?
Yes. On ForeBranch → Individuals, click the Priv toggle for that person, or use Mark Private from Bulk Actions.
Does ForeBranch send my data anywhere?
The free plugin stores your data in your WordPress database and does not send personal or genealogical data to any external service. Some Pro features contact outside services only when you use them: geocoding (Nominatim), map tiles (OpenStreetMap), AI biographies (your chosen provider), Google Maps links (on click), and Google reCAPTCHA (if you add keys).
Updating and data
Can I re-import an updated GEDCOM without creating duplicates?
Yes. Choose Update tree when re-importing with the same person IDs. See Import for all three modes.
What happens to my data if I uninstall?
Deactivating the plugin does not delete your tree. Deleting the plugin removes its settings, but your genealogy data is kept unless you checked Delete all data when plugin is uninstalled under Configuration → Data Management before deleting.
Does it work on multisite?
It is not specifically tested as a network plugin. Each site uses its own database tables, so activate it on the site where you want the tree.
Do my photos come across in the GEDCOM?
A GEDCOM stores media titles, file names, and links, not the image files themselves. With Pro, upload the files under ForeBranch → Media → Bulk Upload and match them with Attach files. See Media (Pro).
Visitors
Can relatives send me corrections?
Yes, with Pro. Turn on Let visitors suggest corrections and the Comments tab under Configuration → Comments & Visitor Interaction. Submissions arrive in ForeBranch → Submissions.
Can visitors share pages?
Yes, with Pro. Choose the share buttons under Configuration → Social Sharing Buttons.
Getting help
Where can I get support?
Start with this Knowledge Base, or visit the Support Forum at forebranch.com/forum. Pro customers also receive priority email support.